Swivel-coupling for vehicles.



No. 773,277. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

J. A. CORNELIUS,

SWIVEL COUPLING FOE VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1904.'

H0 MODEL.

5111 venl'o'c re J. 773,277.

UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SWIVEL-COUPLING FOR VEHICLES- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,277, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed June 14, 1904.

T0 (I/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. CORNELIUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hastings, in the county of Comanche and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swivel-Couplings for Vehicles; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an attachment for vehicles, and particularly for carriages, buggies, wagons, &c.; and it consists of certain novel features of combination and construe-- tion of parts, the preferred form whereof will be hereinafter clearly set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

The prime object of my invention is to provide a coupling between the front and rear axles which will permit any of the wheels to freely pass over any obstruction, as a rut or an elevation in the roadway, without placing any undue strain upon the coupling-pole or fifth-wheel and at the same time permit the vehicle to be freely turned within a comparatively small area.

A further object of my invention is to provide a coupling of the character specified which will consist of but a few simple parts and which may be very cheaply manufactured and each readily assembled in its respective operative position and when once so assembled will prove of great permanence and durability of character.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparent, reference being had ciJO the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, and in whicl Figure 1 shows a top plan view of my invention complete as applied to use upon the running-gears of a carriage, buggy, or the like. Fig. 2 is a central section of my invention complete as applied to use, while Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the various parts of my invention separated from each other or ready to be assembled each in its respective place.

For convenience of reference the various Serial No. 212,526. (No model.)

details and cooperating accessories of my invention will be referred to by numerals, the

same numeral applying to a similar part throughout the several views.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 and 2 representthe front and rear wheels of the vehicle of the usual or any preferred construction, and to the upper side of the forward axle 3, having the usual Wooden auxiliary axle or plate 4, I attach, by means of suitable bolts 5, the body portion or plate 6, having upon its upper side the channel or groove 7, in which the central portion of the spring of the vehicle is designed to rest, a suitable aperture being provided in the central part of the body portion or plate 6 forthe reception of the king-bolt 8, as fully shown in Fig. 2.

The plate or body portion 6 is provided with the hounds or fifth-wheel extension 9, the central part being merged into the parallel bars 10, which are so formed as to have the semicircular conical seats 11 and 12 designed to receive, respectively, the cone-shaped members 13 and 14, which are carried upon the ends of the shaft 15. The conical member 14, it will be observed, is provided with a threaded bore, and therefore adapted to be seated upon the threaded forward end of the shaft 15, and is held in place thereon by the jam-nut 16. The seats 11 and 12 being semicircular in form are supplemented, respectively, by the plates 17 and 18, each having suitable apertures 19 to register with apertures 20. whereby said plates may be reliably locked in position, as by the bolts 21. It is therefore obvious that by a proper adjustment of the conical member 14 and the jam-nut 16 all looseness incident to wear upon the conical members 13 and 14 may be compensated for or taken up, thus obviating looseness and incidental rattling of the parts. The conical member 13 is provided with a bifurcated extension, the branches 22 and 23 being suitably shaped, as indicated by the numeral 24, whereby they may be readily coupled onto and bolted in union with the hounds proper, 25, of the vehicle, said hounds being constructed in any preferred way and attached to the rear axle 26 and, if deemed necessary, may be reinforced, as by the bracing-sections 27. In like manner the rearwardly-extending curved members 9 may be reinforced and supported in their operative positions, as by the bracing-rod 52-8, bolted to the lower side of the seat 12, it being understood that there may be one or two of said bracing-rods 28, as deemed most desirable and productive of the best results.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the forward and rear wheels are left free to move upward or downward independently of the movement of the other wheels, as in passing over obstructions in the roadway, and no undue strain will be placed upon the fifth-wheel or upon the coupling or king bolt, inasmuch as the conical members 13 and 14 are left free to turnin their seats, and thereby compensate for the simultaneous elevation of a forward wheel and depression of the rear wheel, or vice versa.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simple and reliably-efiicient coupling. which may be produced at a comparatively small cost and which may be readily applied to running-gears of vehicles of the usual or any preferred construction, and while I have described the preferred combination and construction of parts deemed necessary in carrying out my invention I wish to comprehend in this application all substitutes and equivalents that may be regarded as falling fairly within the scope and purview of my invention.

Believing thatthe advantages,construction, and manner of using my invention have thus been made clearly apparent, further description is deemed unnecessary.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein-described attachment for the running-gears of vehicles comprising a plate 6 adapted to receive the forward spring of the vehicle and having the fifth-wheel extension or members 9; parallel extensions 10 formed integral with said fifth-wheel; seats 11 and 12 carried by said parallel extensions; conical members adapted to fit in said seats and means to adjust the same and additional means to retain said conical members within their seats; an integral, bifurcated extension o of said. rear conical member adapted to be connected to the rear axle or to the forward ends of the hounds thereof whereby said conieal members will be left free to rotate in their seats and compensate for any unevenness of the roadway, all combined substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES A. CORNELIUS.

\Vitnesses:

ED. C. KAUFMAN, O'r'ro BROWN. 

